90 school girls receive reusable sanitary pads in Gombe
Chima Azubuike, Gombe
Over Ninety girls from less priviledged homes drawn across two schools in Gombe metropolis have benefitted from the distribution of reusable sanitary pads.
The event commemorates the World Menstrual Hygiene Day 2021.
According to Executive Director, Responsible Citizenship and Human Development Initiative, Dudu Manuga, the gift would relieve the financial burdens of beneficiaries for more than a year, adding that it would boost the confidence of young girls.
She revealed that the programme had two objectives namely, to create awareness amongst secondary school girls about sexual gender based violence and the need for menstrual hygiene.
Manuga explained that averagely the days a girl doesn’t see her period is about twenty-eight, adding that majority would flow for about five days.
She said, “The fifth month is which month -may. You see why we are celebrating World Menstrual Hygiene day today. Five days of period, twenty eight days free.
“We distributed about ninety free reusable pads, we specifically requested for girls from poor homes who have issues around affording products for their period. So that we can give them this gift which they can use for a minimum of one year and a maximum of three years.
“The distribution has two objectives one to create awareness about sexual gender based violence; what they need to do, what the teachers can also do in responding to that, secondly to give them free pads.
“We target to reach thousands of school children, through our ‘Pad Angels’, anonymous persons whom have chosen to support us, we have over five hundred packs and we have only distributed about ninety.
“We had planned to have three schools but there are two schools; Government Day Secondary School and Government Junior Secondary School Orji, Gombe State.
“You can see alot of their teachers came we believe that by knowing they will be able to pass the information to friends and family.”
While decrying the increase in the rate of sanitary pads, Manuga stressed that the
reusable ones are not only cost effective but safe.
“The idea of using this reusable pads, is to safe cost. Yes, they may be more expensive initially but if you remember you can use it for a minimum of 12 times in the end they are more cost effective.
“Again, it goes back to what our grandmothers were doing and again, the reusable is not like that kind of cloth which disintegrates as it gets old and could enter into their private part to cause health issues including infertility.
“We have advised them to wash, air to dry them properly that way there will be no infection that will come into their body,” Manuga said.
Also, Rahab Adamu, a beneficiary of one the packs who expressed her appreciation said the donation would improve her concentration during flow days.
Adamu said, “I feel very happy before I got this one, I was using the other pad to take care of my menstruation. Usually I tell my mother to help me buy, sometimes she will have the money and some other times she may not have but with this I will be able to concentrate when I’m flowing.”
